Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Useful After Easter

Wicker basket image courtesy of pixabay.com

Have you ever considered using a wicker basket that is not necessarily promoted to be used as an Easter Basket? Walking down any aisle of a store, we can see several options of baskets to be used on Easter morning. We can find them made in a variety of materials and most are extremely cute but will they last beyond a day or two?

I will admit that I have a penchant for baskets as a whole. I can't honestly say when my love for them began or even why. It might be from memories of my Grandmother using different baskets to complete chores with. She had a basket for gathering eggs, one for picking items from the garden, one for the apples and pears and a few others for specific duties around her home. All of those magnificent baskets were worn from use but sturdy and helpful to her.

It occurred to me the other day as I was looking at an option for baskets this year for my grandchildren that I really didn't want to give them one that was commercially produced for the occasion. I just realized that they looked as inexpensive as their price tags indicated. I would rather give them something that could be used again for another purpose. Perhaps something they could smile at one day when they remembered that Grandma gave them that basket.

I think I found a nice solution for this year. I like the idea that the basket I have chosen can be used to store items in if they want. I can picture my youngest using it to keep her crayons, markers and colored pencils in. My oldest could store her music CDs or other items in. I like this idea much better than a basket that will end up broken and in a landfill somewhere in the near future.

How about you? Would you rather place your Easter goodies in a wicker basket that can find multiple uses for after the holiday?

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Fun Idea For Easter Basket Stuffer

Add some Lego Fun to the Basket
(image courtesy of pixabay.com)

It is a good two months before those Easter Egg Hunts take place but I am already looking for some fun ideas to add to the baskets. Of course there will be eggs to be found. I always look for some different sorts of sweets to add but I like to hold that sugary stuff to a minimum. So, I start searching for non-edible ideas rather early. I have found something fun for this year.

Those that know me might remember that I love to play with Legos. My brothers and I built things with those plastic bricks when we were little. Hours of fun were spent with my daughters with them. This grandma still plays with the colorful plastic pieces with her grandchildren. I even have a display of the Big Bang Theory done in Legos in our family room.

Imagine my thrill when I found a set of Legos that creates a scene for an Easter Egg Hunt! It is a small little set with only 145 pieces so the box will fit nicely in the kid's baskets. The set allows you to build three separate locations (to hide the 3 eggs). There is a carrot garden, a flower garden and a hen house. Two figures come with the set; an adult and a child. There is a wheelbarrow, a cute little basket and a magnifying glass. Well, it is just down right adorable!

As with most of the Lego sets once this one is assembled the different locations can be easily added to any other display you might already have on display. We rarely tear our finished sets down in this house. They are fun to pull out and play with when the kids come or Grandma goes to their house.

If you are looking for something to add to an Easter Basket that won't throw your child or grandchild into a raging sugar high, consider a set of Lego fun with the Easter Egg Hunt.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Decorating for Easter can be as simple as changing the centerpiece on the table, to a more dramatic change, such as changing out the art on the wall with a seasonal Easter/Spring piece.

Let's review five Easter home décor ideas that are both traditional and unconventional.

1. Be Unconventional and Decorate a Dollhouse for Easter

Heads-up Grandparents, this is for you! Mom and Dad too of course. It's a great idea for parents (Grand and all) who don't have time to decorate the 'real' house for Easter.
Get a dollhouse and decorate it, it gives the kids something to play with and something to decorate.
Place the dollhouse in a central location, perhaps on a table in the foyer, and decorate it with Easter related characters, eggs, fun dollhouse lights, or have the kids make items for it. Get Easter cut-out books for the kids to decorate with, or just make décor items from scratch.

2. Decorate the Table for Easter

Our dining room table or kitchen table sits ready to be used as the focal point for the special occasions yet we tend to avoid using it.

The problem with using a table to decorate is ensuring it's still usable for eating. But hey, no problem, just keep it simple.

3. Place Easter Bouquets or Easter Ornaments in the Main Rooms - Add an Easter Wreath

The easiest way to add a touch of Easter, is to include a bouquet or ornament in the room. You don't have to go with a standard flower bouquet (although that's always lovely) ... try an Easter egg tree or a lighted Easter display ornament.

Add an Easter wreath to the front door or add several inside the house. Place one or two in the foyer and of course find a place for one in the living or dining rooms. Again be sure to scroll down and view some examples.

4. Easter Wall Art - Add Fun Creative Pieces to the Wall for Spring

The nice thing about Easter wall art is that it works for both spring and summer. Get a piece or two and put it up in the foyer, living room or dining room for both seasons. You'll have Easter covered and the fun continues through all the warm weather.

5. Easter Pillows and Throw Blankets

The standard décor pieces for a seasonal change are pillows and blankets. They're easy to display and easy to put away. If you have pillow covers, you can just cover your existing pillows. That's a particularly popular way to change out pillows, as pillow liners are easy to store.

Changing your throws and pillows to pastels or soft tones also helps to lighten up a room giving it that fresh, airy appeal.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Treasures from the Archives of Review This!

Easter is always an opportunity for fun! From decorating the house with cute bunnies & ducks, to dressing up in new beautiful spring clothing, and of course, Easter egg hunts, we all look forward to celebrating this holiday in style. There are also some really fabulous Easter crafts that can be made ahead of time or with the whole family on Easter day. Making something together always ensures wonderful memories. Oh, and be sure to take pictures!As you already know, Easter is always on a Sunday. The date changes slightly each year because the day we celebrate Easter is based on the spring equinox. Click here to read this article and the history on Why Dates for Easter Change Each Year.Since it is a religious holy-day for many of us, we start our Easter morning with a special breakfast and a worship service. It is often a day for the family to spend the afternoon together in celebration. Easter parties are not uncommon events. They usually include Easter baskets and Easter egg hunts. Because our team of Contributors come from various countries, backgrounds, religious beliefs, and traditions, we each celebrate Easter in different, yet similar ways. Because we are all writers, we publish articles based on our beliefs and celebrations. I'm sure you will find something for everyone in our treasury of Easter articles featured on the Review This Easter Pinterest board below!

A Preview of the Pinterest Board - Easter Reviews

Easter Reviewed on Review This!

For a written list of the Easter related articles reviewed on Review This, please visit our Site Directory and select "Holidays" from the "Fast Click" category tabs on that page. You will also find additional holidays articles under that category along with the Easter reviews.To see all of our Easter articles on Review This!, simply click the Easter tab in the sidebar menu in the right sidebar.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

The area rugs of today aren't the area rugs you used to see at your grandma's house. Nope. Today the choices are wide ranging and absolutely unexpected.

When we think of motivational and educational messages, we normally add them to a space by using prints or wall decals. However, today you can find area rugs featuring inspiring words ranging from spiritual to comical.

An Original Gift Idea

Choose an inspirational rug with words for a gift. There's a solid chance the recipient won't already have one. In fact, they've probably never seen one.

Inspiration doesn't have to always be serious and tutorial in nature. It can also be light and fun and still deliver a profound message.

Best of all, you're giving a practical gift that will actually be used to enhance the décor in a room.

A Motivational Area Rug featuring Virtues to Live By

Find inspirational words featured on rugs that speak to the positive traits we should work towards.

Feature a motivational rug in an office, den, teenagers room or even a foyer. Greet those who enter with words that reflect what you believe in and who you are.

Best of all, you can teach without speaking. Those who enter your space won't be left guessing about what you believe in or what you're motivated by.

Whether we speak words of goodness or just display them, they make an impact.

So the next time you're looking for an original gift, think about giving an inspirational carpet .... they don't fly, but they can help spread words of love, which can help the spirit fly, so in that sense, they're magic.

Put love on the floor to complete your décor.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Just Let Go (Based on a True Story)

During the Lenten Season, I try to look for movies, books, music and other kinds of media, that makes me think! As a practicing Christian that is part of what the Lenten Season is for me.

It is a time to reflect and recognize my shortcomings and ask for the grace to become a stronger person in faith. To that end, I watched this movie, "Just Let Go" with the hopes that it would inspire me.

Just Let Go, features Henry Ian Cusick and Brenda Vaccaro in a couple of the leading roles. You will recognize both of these actors if you were a fan of 70's and 80's TV.
Based on a true story, It asks the tough questions. Can you forgive? Not an easy matter when your family has been decimated by a drunk driver.

The movie takes you to places that no one wants to visit.

When we hear the news reports of a drunk driver taking out a family and then walking away from the accident unscathed, we are appalled and angry! How can this happen? Why wasn't the drunk driver the one killed? Our sense of justice is immediately put to the test. I'm sure more than one would fail because we just can't see the Justice in that situation. The bigger question is, if it happened to us, "Could we Forgive"?

As Christians that is what we are called to do, forgiveness is a large part of our core beliefs. But, if that were our family, could we forgive?

This movie tries to show what happens when we do take that time to work through our grief and let the anger and need for retribution go. Is it easy? Never in a million years would it be easy, but for our own sense of sanity, it might be necessary. So ask yourself again, Can you Forgive?

Amish Grace (Based on a True Story)

Not quite the same scenario as Just let Go, but with the same results. Many families were totally broken apart by one person's actions. How do you come to terms with those actions and the consequences of those actions?

The Amish, whose faith revolves around the "Our Father Prayer" has a strong connection with forgiveness. They live the words of the prayer, especially, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us!"

They reached out to the widow of the shooter, recognizing that she also had her life turned upside down by the actions of her husband.

They did not turn their backs on her because of her relationship with the man who shot their innocent children. They forgave him and opened their hearts to the women left behind and her family. Could we do the same?

These are tough questions for Christians all through the year, but especially at the Lenten times when we are called to witness and proclaim our faith by our lives. We need to take the time to look at these hard questions! It's a good barometer for our faith lives to see where we need to do more work.

My Conclusions

Of these two movies, I preferred Amish Grace as the whole story and the reactions were much more real to me than that portrayed in Just Let Go.

That may be due in part because of my own feelings. I would be much more outraged and seeking some form of retribution. Just Let Go, seems to get to the point of forgiveness far too quickly. My reactions would have been far more gut wrenching. (My husband seems to think that's because I'm an extrovert!)
But that is my opinion. I'm hoping you will watch both movies and let me know how you feel.

The Bottom Line and the One that is the Hardest to Live is that:

Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness in this life. Both of these movies make you aware of that fact.Is it easy to do? Not a chance, but then so many things that are worthwhile to do are not easy either!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.

Monday, February 20, 2017

This winter has been mild and the spring flowers are already starting to poke through the earth. Spring makes me think of Easter. Easter makes me think of frilly dresses, baskets, and hunting for colorful eggs at Grandmother's home. These personalized plush bunnies are perfect for baby's first Easter basket.

Baby's First Easter Basket

Are you unsure of what to put into baby's first Easter basket? The stores are already displaying shelves full of enormous stuffed animals and a large assortment of plush bunnies of every size. But wouldn't it be wonderful to give a bunny with baby's name embroidered on the ear?

The Ultra-Plush Personalized My First Bunny by Colorful Images

Colorful Images is a company I have trusted for years for paper products and party supplies. They offer many gifts that can be personalized to create thoughtful and meaningful gifts. While flipping through the most recent catalog these beautiful bunnies caught my eye. These ultra-plush bunnies are 16" tall and have weighted bottoms to help them sit up. The bunny comes in pink or blue accents. Personalize these bunnies with names up to 12 characters long. That option to personalize is FREE. These beautiful ultra-plush bunnies are described as "my first bunny" but I think they are a beautiful Easter basket addition for anyone of any age. What a wonderful, lasting gift to receive from mom, dad, grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend, or anyone who wants to give a personalized gift that will last after all of the chocolate, jelly beans, and marshmallow chicks have been consumed.

Did you have a favorite stuffed animal from childhood? I did. Of course, that was long ago. Long before embroidered names was such an easy option.One last thought and gentle reminder - it is recommended that infants sleep alone, without stuffed animals, in their cribs. The recommended age for this gift is 12 months and up.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Happy Easter! Whether it's the Easter Bunny or the Traditional Christian Holiday You're Celebrating, Enjoy and Have a Wonderful Easter Sunday
We know many children will be enjoying a feast of chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs, and baskets filled with other treats, gifts and goodies.

As Christians attend mass today, many will be dressed up with seasonal Easter Bonnets and kids in their Sunday best. It's a day as important as Christmas to Christians, and some feel even more so, in that it represents the rise of Jesus into heaven and eternal life.What's Your Easter Sunday Tradition?

Our kids are mostly grown now, but the memories of our Easter Sundays are forever etched in my heart. While the kids slept I would fill a very large basket with toys, clothes and candies and place the basket on their dressers. Of course, they'de wake up excited to see what the Bunny brought! But the best part was always watching their happy faces.

Of course, what's a bunny day without an egg hunt! We'd leave a trail of chocolate eggs all over the house and they'd run around full speed collecting as many as they could in their smaller basket.

Til this day, I still picture them in their PJ's sitting in the family room sorting through their goodies and stuffing their precious little faces with chocolate.

I can't believe how fast they grow up - sure do miss those days .... Great memories that I'm hoping they'll be making with their own families some day. Our family moments are forever etched in my mind, and I'm grateful we took the time to carve them out.

My kids inspired me to write this poem - a funny take on a child's perspective about the Easter Bunny!

Friday, March 25, 2016

Since today is Good Friday, I thought it would be appropriate to ask "what does Good Friday mean to you?"

I woke up this morning myself to a gloriously beautiful day. Spring has truly arrived in my backyard and our region. After days of heavy rain and flooding, I am grateful to see a lovely blue sky and blooming trees. As I stood in my window looking out at the beauty of the day, I couldn't help but think it doesn't quite seem right that it would be so magnificent on the day Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Christ. Frankly, those harsh stormy days we have so recently endured would seem more appropriate.

Many refer to Good Friday as Black Friday. In my humble opinion, either is apt.

Good Friday or Black Friday

I have always found it interesting to hear what others think, how they view the religious holiday referred to as Good Friday on calendars.

So, now I ask you: How Do You Refer to Today?

Easter Sunday

Good Friday is always followed by Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the grave and His ascension into heaven.

Regardless of the title you apply to today, I sincerely hope you will all have a wonderful Great Friday and a glorious Easter Sunday! We can't have one without the other.

Friday, March 11, 2016

"The
Tale of the Bunny Picnic" is a wonderful children's classic video that
is loved by all ages. It is the perfect children's video for Easter, but will be treasured throughout the year.

Jim Henson really out did himself when he created
this story. The story and the characters are beloved childhood memories for both of our children. Actually, they still watch the video!The Tale of the Bunny Picnic is an interesting twist
to the "boy who cried wolf" story and has bunny rabbits for the main
characters.You'll love all of the bunnies, especially Bean. You will even love the farmers dog.

The Tale of the Bunny Picnic Cover Story

This
adorable little bunny adventure is sure to win your heart! The animated
bunnies, dogs, people and other animals in Jim Henson's video, The
Bunny Picnic," are all really endearing.The story centers around
Bean, a young, imaginative bunny who tells so many tales that when he
really does discover that the farmer has a new dog to hunt rabbits, none
of the other bunnies believe his warning.

The Tale of the Bunny Picnic Video Provided by: Heather Katsoulis

My Recommendation of The Tale of the Bunny Picnic

When
my now grown children were little, this video played constantly. We
memorized the songs and some of the lines. Even today, when one of us
randomly starts reciting sections of the tale, the rest of us join in
with the appropriate character responses. I truly believe when a story
has that kind of lasting effect, that must be the best recommendation
that can be given.

Here is an excerpt of our favorite part of the tale:

Story
Teller: "Fox, Fox, I'm the Giant Hedgehog and even though I'm really,
really big and you're really, really small, I'm not gonna hurt you and
do you know why?"

Little Bunny: "No Why?"

Story Teller: "Because those who hurt others, hurt themselves."

How to Purchase Your Copy of "The Tale of the Bunny Picnic"

Because these videos are no longer in production, they are not always easy to find. Plus, when you do find a copy, they are often quite expensive. I have honestly found the best place to search for the video is on Ebay. The video may be used, but it is still worth buying your own copy.

Monday, March 23, 2015

There is an easy way to make beautiful and personalized Easter eggs. In this review, you will see that using egg coloring and Sharpie brand markers is an inexpensive way to make your eggs unique.Whether you decorate Easter eggs as a great way to spend time with children or because you are an adult who loves to relive that childhood magic of coloring eggs, using a Sharpie marker is a great way to make your eggs your own.

I have always loved Easter eggs

I am not a very creative person. Nor do I do much decorating on the holidays. But I have always loved Easter egg decorating and hunting. Easter eggs bring back memories of the hunts at Grandma's house so many years ago. Even the hunt that I remember few details of except looking down at my pretty new shoes in the snow, leading up to Grandma's house. We had the hunt in that house that year. I must have been around kindegarten age but I sure do remember those black patent leather shoes and the excitement of trying to add eggs to my little basket.

Coloring the eggs

Over the years I have tried different products to color eggs. But I always return to the familiar way with PAAS. I have the best luck with PAAS and it is inexpensive. I find PAAS is reliable and the directions are simple to follow.

Taking the decorating one step further

My friend's personal Easter Bunny

I have to say that I LOVE Sharpie brand markers. Always have and I always will. I use them at work, at home, and every chance I get. Sharpie makes a marker size and color for every project you could think of. They are bright and permanent. There are a variety of tips and mediums. My friend likes Sharpie markers even more than I do. A few years ago he introduced me to the idea of decorating Easter Eggs with Sharpie markers. We colored our eggs as we normally do. After they cooled and dried, we drew on them with these simple, black, permanent markers. I regret not having taken more photos of his artwork but I think you can get the idea. You can see that the marker ink is dark and bold. I am not as artistic. Rather than drawing things such as bunny faces, I drew simple smiley faces on mine, and wrote words or messages. I never imagined that Minion eggs would be an easy and adorable Easter egg design. Crystal on A Pumpkin & a Princess shows us how to color the eggs with PAAS, then add googley eyes, a bit of string, and a hand-drawn face to make these holiday Minions (shown above). There too, you can see how nice the Sharpie marker ink looks on the eggs.

On Redefine Creativity Alisa Burke shows us how she creates gorgeous "doodle" Easter eggs by using a black Sharpie over a white egg. She uses the empty egg shell after blowing out the contents. There are a variety of designs in her article but they all remind me somewhat of beautiful henna tattoos. I'd like to try these with a hard-boiled egg and a base of pastel color. Thank you Alisa for this wonderful idea.

The "doodle" eggs displayed on Obviously Sweet are also white eggs with black sharpie patterns. These have a slightly different look than the patterns mentioned earlier. To me they look more modern and geometric. They can be as easy or difficult as you care to make them.I don't know how I didn't know, but there is a neon sharpie marker set that is fluorescent under black lights. I can imagine using the neon colors for these patterned "doodle" eggs. I think they would look great. Happy Easter to you. Whether you are helping a child discover the wonder of making beautiful things or whether you are an adult that still enjoys the fun of decorating eggs, I hope that you create some wonderful memories as you make your eggs this year.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.

Friday, March 20, 2015

I think just about everyone loves some bunny sometimes, and these adorable Easter bunny crafts are sure to be loved by all.

Every holiday presents a new opportunity for crafters to create a new gift, a lovely decoration, or perhaps add embellished apparel to our wardrobe. In preparing for Easter, we think of flowers, Easter eggs, Easter baskets, but foremost in our playful hearts and minds, are Easter bunnies!

Crafting for Easter is always a lot of fun, so let's jump right in and review this selection of Easter crafts.

Easter Bunny Crafts in Apparel

Either of these Easter bunny shirts would be fun to make! Perhaps, the choice of which top to make would be determined by the age of the recipient. However, I can actually imagine crafters of any age would make these shirts, wear them proudly and dare anyone to challenge their creative Easter apparel.

The post about the Bunny Rabbit Sweater is written in Swedish, but with photos, crafting becomes a universal language. It is pretty easy to see that she used embroidery stitches to add a bunny face to a gray sweater. Really cute ideas!

Easter Bunny Crafts in Home Decor

From bunny pillows to bunny shaped washcloths, we can make bunny home decor to dress every room for Easter.
The Hoppy Bunny Pillow article is fabulous! She uses one of my all time favorite craft items, fusible interfacing. Plus, she gives us the bunny template to print so we can easily add the lovely bunny image on a pillow.

The Chocolate Bunny would be fun to place anywhere in the home! I love the photo with it placed on the white place setting of china. Anyone would delight to find a Chocolate bunny waiting for them at the dinner table and this one won't get eaten.

But, let's not forget our restrooms, especially the children's bathroom! Everyone will enjoy having a bunny washcloth tending to their needs. Baileygrib finishes the washcloth bunnies by adding eyes, a nose and a tail, but truly we could stop after step 6 in the instructions and have temporary bunnies that, with the rubber band and ribbon removed, could serve once again as a washcloth. I think everyone recognizes the shape of a bunny without the details.

A Few Special Easter Bunny Crafts that Make Great Gifts

Most crafters enjoy making gifts for our friends and family. The Easter Bunny Boxes would be the perfect gift box, but imagine how much fun a child would have helping you actually decorate the box. Whether you choose to make it in advance, or make the box together, I am certain the Easter bunny gift boxes would be a gift in it's own right.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

It's not too late to get crafting for Easter - we have been busy making little chicks, coloring in Easter bunny paper dolls and even making some little chocolate eggs of our own with a chocolate mold.

The past week we have also made baskets for an egg hunt, and were lucky enough to attend a willow weaving workshop at our local zoo, where we learned how to make these bird nests pictured! These make a lovely Easter gift, with a knitted bird or two and some pretty foiled eggs.

This time of year is a haven for crafty ideas - spring is in the air, nature is abundant with bits and bobs to use in crafting, and we have Easter and Earth Day to inspire us! Tomorrow we're going to combine the two events by recycling the pretty colored foil that my children's Easter hunt eggs were wrapped in (below), and using them to create some kind of object or collage. We've not decided yet!

Squidoo is the perfect place to find Easter craft ideas, or to write your own how-to's and reviews! Whether you want inspiration for a craft, or want to see how you can share your own ideas, take a look at some of these terrific pages.

Older preschoolers might like to help (or receive!) these Resurrection Easter Eggs, demonstrated by ideadesigns. And if you're all out of painting and decorating eggs enthusiasm by now, why not try something different, such as this great idea by prosperity66, whoshows you how to make Easter Bells from plant pots!

Finally, I love this tutorial from KyraB. Now spring is here, we are itching to get gardening, and have been looking at making a fairy garden in a barrel and a terrarium. So her lens on How to Make a Christian Easter Planterseemed like perfect timing for getting crafty with planting, with an Easter theme!

I was delighted to see my Chick in Egg Easter Cards tutorial selected as Lens of the Day today! This is a great craft for little ones as you can keep it simple (a colored chick in a plain egg) or have fun decorating, coloring or painting it to the hilt! I am also delighted to have been blessed with the new regular position of Saturday poster for Review This, so from next weekend you will be able to find reviews, tips, inspirations and ideas from Little Crafty Kids here every week! Once again, have a Happy Easter, and happy crafting!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

You can color me green in terms of lifestyle, but healthy
living is really a lovely palette of so many beautiful colors.With Easter just a few days away, I’ve been
considering how I want to apply the colors of the rainbow to create this year’s
dyed eggs.As I searched for holiday
decorating ideas, I took a few scenic detours and started reading about
chickens and their eggs.When it comes
to making gorgeous shells, the chickens are already several steps ahead of
me.I don’t even need to break out the dye.

As one who is on a quest to grow all of my own food, I
currently have a fascination with raising backyard chickens.My goal is to start with three laying hens
this spring.Along with the search for
construction plans to build a chicken coop, I am thoroughly enjoying
what I am learning about the different breeds of chickens.

Did you know you can look at a chicken’s earlobe to
potentially determine what color of egg she will lay?I've not personally checked any earlobes to test that little tidbit of chicken trivia, but you can learn more by watching the short video clip presented in the first article linked below.Wouldn’t it be fun if we had a similar way of
seeing what our future children might look like?But I digress.

As I was saying before I interrupted myself, I now know why
chickens produce different colored eggs, as well as which breeds to buy if I
want to have delicious Easter eggs every day of the year.Do you know which chickens lay blue, pink,
green, or brown eggs?I do now thanks to
several interesting Squidoo articles.

Do you raise backyard chickens? Have you built a hen house? If so, I would love to read all about
it.Why not write a feature article or
review of your top backyard chicken product. I might even reward you with a basket of your favorite Easter candy. So what will it be? Mini robin's eggs? Peeps? Did I mention chocolate?

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Crafting with little ones is perfect for bringing out their creative side, nurturing their inner artist and exercising their imagination. But crafts can also be a wonderful learning tool in other ways as well.As an unschooling home educator, I use play and art as part of the learning process. We learn and craft with the seasons, the things we see and do daily, and whatever interests my children currently have. Of course, right now it is coming up to Easter, so there arelots of beautiful spring, egg and other Easterthemes in abundance! We have been making these chick in egg cards (left) to send to my daughter's friends and pen pals, a prime example of learning as we craft. The activity led to a discussion about the life cycle of the chicken, farms, and whether there are chicks in the eggs that we have in the fridge! We also belong to a home educators book club on Facebook, which has a different book to read every week or fortnight, and we incorporate lots of crafts and similar activities alongside the reading of the books. We've made stick people in the forest for Stickman (below left), play dough aliens (below centre) and a washing line full of colourful cut-out pants for Aliens Love Underpants (below right, which prompted a mini science lesson on the weather, how clothes get dry, and what we could use to "dry" our craft by representing the wind and sun). Not to mention Jack and the Beanstalk stick puppets, Room on the Broom peg dolls, Three Little Pig houses made of smoothie boxes - well, you get the idea!

So, when you craft together, think about what other elements you can bring in to teach your child, to make learning fun! Even simple concepts like cutting paper or lacing beads (motor skills), counting out or measuring materials (maths), or trying out a new way of painting (art) are teaching key lessons.Here are some ideas for the season for you! hlkljgk shows you how to dye eggs naturally for Easter in her Natural Egg Colouring lens. This activity combines craft with science, as you can explain the dyeing process and so on. You can also get inspired by general craft ideas and apply an Easter theme. Here I show you How to Make a Shadow Puppet. You can teach children a basic history of shadow puppetry or the science of reflection and shadow, and create an Easter puppet show at the same time! Finally, why not inspire further crafting this Easter by popping a crafty gift egg inside your child's Easter basket? CorrinnaJohnson has some beautiful examples of these in her lens Crafty Non-Candy Easter Egg Surprises. Happy Easter, and happy crafting!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.

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